ResurrectionـAlireza Ghorbani, Vancouver Opera Orchestra & Choir

Presented by: BlueShore Financial

A Persian Night with Vancouver Opera Orchestra featuring Vancouver Bach Choir & Alireza Ghorbani – Resurrection

For the Very first time in Canada, over 150 musicans including Vancouver Opera (Symphony) Orchestra and Vancouver Bach Choir conducted by Leslie Dala along with Alireza Ghorbani and other Persian Musicians grace the magnificent Orpheum Theatre to Perform Masterpieces from Great Iranian Composers. This is spectacular and World Class Concert.

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Alireza Ghorbani: Vocalist
Leslie Dala: Conductor
Ahmad Pejman: Composer
Houshang Kamkar: Composer
Talin Ohanian: Soprano
Sanaz Sotoudeh: Piano Soloist

Mohammad Fazlali: Producer & Creative Director (Pers Pacific Enterprise)

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“International Artist”
‘Vocalist’

Alireza Ghorbani, one of the most beloved and celebrated ambassadors of Classical Persian music captivates audiences with his compelling and sumptuous voice.
This is the second time that Ghorbani performs with Vancouver Opera Orchestra.
He will perform the extraordinary and profound songs. He will be vocalist of Rumi Symphonic Poem” composed by Houshang Kamkar in this concert. He also performs best hits songs of his different albums with Symphony Orchestra and Choir.

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“Tribute to Maestro Ahmad Pejman”
‘Composer’

Masterpiece “Resurrection” composed by Ahmad Pejman has its world live premier in this concert. This concert is tributed to Maestro Ahmad Pejman; the Prominent Iranian Composer. He will be present at the venue in this concert.

Ahmad Pejman, born in 1937 in Iran.
He studied composition at the Music Academy in Vienna where he was taught by Thomas Christisn David, Alfred Uhi and Hanns Jelinek. Even as a student his works were performed by the Vienna Radio Orchestra and the Radio Chamber Orchestra.
For the opening of the Tehran Opera House ( Talare Roudaki) Pejman was commissioned to write an opera in one act, the first opera in the Persian Language. Since then he has regularly composed operas and ballets for the opera house.

He taught at the Consevetory and at the Univsersity of Tehran. In 1976 he continued his musical studies at Columbia University, New York City. Pejman lives and works in Los Angeles.
Pejman’s works have been performed by several symphony orchestra in Europe. His field of works also included composing film scores; “Dalirane Tangestan”( TV Series), “Shahzdeh Ebtehaj” are amongst of his film scores.

As he is inspired not only by Persian Folklore but also by traditional music he likes to make use of Persian Instruments in his compositions.
Pejman takes melodies as a base for motive development. A melody is fragmented, explored, and undergoes motive development.

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Composer
Housang Kamkar born in 1946 in Sanandaj Iran. He studied music in University of Tehran, Italy and Universty of Sanfrancisco.
He is composer and Art Director of Kamkars Ensemble. Kamkars Ensemble is a family band whom all of the musicians are members of Kamkar’s family and has had a significant role in Persian Classical Music.

Houshang Kamkar has written many pieces for Symphony Orchestra and his works has been performed in different countries such as England & Germany. He has composed Rumi Symphonic Poemfor 800th birthday of Rumi for Symphony Orchestra Solo Vocal and Choir. This beautiful piece is part of this concert.

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“Conductor”
‘Symphony Orchestra & Choir’

Maestro Leslie Dala enjoys a multifaceted career spanning the genres of opera, symphonic music,
choral and contemporary works. On the podium, he is known for his passionate, dynamic, and charismatic approach to music making. Named one of the top ten artistic leaders by the Vancouver Sun, Dala’s national profile has grown steadily with guest conducting appearances with Pacific Opera Victoria, Edmonton Opera, Saskatoon Opera, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony, Thirteen Strings of Ottawa, the COSI Festival in Sulmona, Italy, the Goh Ballet, University of Toronto Opera Department and the Glenn Gould School Opera Program. Dala began his professional career as a pianist and repetiteur, which led to his appointment as Chorus Director with Vancouver Opera. Since then, his role at Vancouver Opera has expanded to include the title of Associate Conductor and Program Director of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program. He has worked on more than 70 Vancouver Opera main stage productions.

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“Local Artist”
‘Soprano’

Talin Ohanian holds an ARCT Diploma in Voice Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music with First Class Honours with Distinction. In 2001, Talin was awarded a RCM scholarship and in 2006, she was the recipient of a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. She began her studies with Aria Zand, continuing them at the Komitas Conservatory in Armenia with Arax Davtian . After her arrival in Vancouver, she continued her studies with Roelof Oostwoud at the University of British Columbia .There after she continued with Mr. David Meek reknowned singer,teacher and Head of Voice/Opera department at Vancouver Academy of Music. She was member of Tehran Symphonic Orchestra Choir and from 2013 Talin is a member of Vancouver Bach Choir.
Talin will perform a song in this concert with Symphony Orchestra and Choir composed by Ramin Jamalpour

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“Emerging Young Artist”
‘ Piano Soloist’

Sanaz Sotoudeh is a talented Young Pianist. In this concert, Sanaz will be Piano Soloist for a piece composed by
Loris Tjeknavorian( Born 1937 Iran). Loris Tjeknavorian is one of the most celebrated cultural figures in Armenia and Iran.
The name of piece is: ‘Nostalgia’ for Piano and Orchestra”

Sanaz Sotoudeh has completed both her B. Mus and M. Mus in solo performance at the McGill University in Canada. She completed her post- graduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music London, UK.
Sanaz Sotoudeh has appeared in recitals at festivals and venues around Europe, North America and Middle East. As a versatile pianist in both solo and collaborative repertoire she has been performing in various projects and productions with well-known musicians and artists; ‘FACAD Art Festival’ at the Vancouvet Art Gallery is amongst her numerous performances.

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“Producer & Creative Director”

Mohammad Fazlali is Producer & Creative Director of this concert. His previous work in this genre was successful concert of ” A Persian Night with Vancouver Opera Orchestra Conducted by Shardad Rohani”. That concert was held on January 06, 2018 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

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“Symphony Orchestra”

Vancouver Opera is fortunate to have one of only two professional opera orchestras in Canada. The
Vancouver Opera Orchestra was established in 1977, replacing an orchestra made up of members of the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Comprised of the region’s leading freelance players, the VO Orchestra
has developed into a fine ensemble that has taken the specialized and demanding art of pit performance to a very high level. Several of the current roster of musicians were in the pit for the orchestra’s inaugural performances, in 1977. This is for the second time that Vancouver Opera Orchestra will Perform Persian Music. The first one with the producing of Mohammad Fazlali was On June 06, 2018 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
https://youtu.be/vqQc2vmf5YA

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“Choir”

Vancouver Bach Choir is one of the largest symphonic choirs in Canada. Under the baton of Maestro
Leslie Dala, the VBC continues its mission and tradition to share the vibrant and culturally diverse
beauty of choral music with local, national and international communities. And now for the first time in this concert , Vancouver Bach Choir Performs songs in Farsi ( Persian) Language.

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Special Thanks to:
Persian Cultural & Art Institute (PERCAI)